KAde Edwards is one of those riders that makes you want to jam…jam at the dirt jumps and jam to your favorite songs. Lyrics 003 is a tribute to all things Kade: his favorite riding spots in the UK, the English punk rock that influenced his style and attitude as a child, and the boundaries he pushed as one of the greatest, too sport’s nastiness will continue to be postponed. down-to-earth, drivers who do it for the love of two wheels.
He plays with his roots
Kade Edwards needs no introduction to the bike industry. At 23 years old, he is a popular fixture among fans on the Instagram feeds of over 200,000 followers. Laid-back, outrageous and ready to have fun on wheels of all sizes, Kade’s infectious style continues to spread as his presence at Darkfest, Red Bull Hardline and as a Rampage hopeful becomes more prolific.
Born and raised outside Huddersfield, UK, Kade grew up 20 minutes from High Green, Sheffield, where the band Arctic Monkeys formed in 2002. That same year, Kade started cycling, and that’s where his lifelong passion for cycling began.
“I don’t think I’ve ever spent a day without a bike since I was two years old. It’s my life.” says Kade.
GEN Z INSPIRATIONS
Music influenced Kade’s riding style from the beginning, and his father’s taste in music influenced what Kade listened to. Kade first heard the Arctic Monkeys at the age of 10 while traveling in the car with his father to do the local dirt jumps. Arctic Monkeys’ lyrics became the backdrop to many riding sessions for Kade as he continued to develop his riding skills day by day.
13 years later, Kade has a wealth of success in all disciplines and plenty of tricks up his sleeve. As a former junior world champion, Kade has mastered both slopestyle tricks and racing down a World Cup race course. But Kade never strays far from his roots, his musical taste and the balance between competition and soul riding.
When his competitors are training, Kade takes on the biggest jumps in the world (just for fun). When Kade is given a blank canvas to design a kit and bike, he comes back with a psychedelic oil slick. When asked what song he would like to shred to, Kade turns to “Brianstorm” by Arctic Monkeys.
“My taste in music is very diverse, but this song shows my personality, where I come from and what I stand for. It just suits the pace of my riding style.” – Kade Edwards
Business in the front, party in the back
Kade followed in his father’s footsteps and began racing at a young age. At the age of six, Kade received his first license plate. He started with motocross and trials motorcycles, but eventually turned his attention to downhill racing, riding and training with the world’s best talent from the UK
Meanwhile, Arctic Monkeys released “Brianstorm” in early 2007, climbing to the top of the UK and Scottish singles charts. The song became one of the band’s most successful singles worldwide and showed their fans that they meant business on their follow-up album. With defiant and raw energy, the band from Sheffield stuck to no rules and played in whatever genres they felt inspired by: alternative, indie, hard rock, pop, post-punk revival.
And just like his musical influences, Kade has never pigeonholed himself when it came to riding. While on his way to becoming a World Cup racer, Kade never gave up the skate park, dirt jumps or favorite tracks for his training. He would have his cake and eat it too.
“I’ve always been a racer and always went to the skate park. I ride bikes because I like all types. I want to win but also have fun.” – Kade
DON’T THINK. JUST DRIVE.
Kade’s ability to pull off massive tricks and big jumps without stopping is undoubtedly attributable to the tens of thousands of hours he has spent on the bike. But he also surrounds himself with some of the most talented drivers in the world. Do the hardline course after breakfast? Completely normal. Learn a new trick after lunch? If Kade had an Outlook calendar, he would be there. But the fact is, he doesn’t spend time scrolling Instagram, checking email, or over-planning his life to keep up with the world’s expectations of elite athletes. He’s found what makes him happiest, surrounds himself with others who have a similar ethos and commitment, and doesn’t worry about the rest. While bikes may be the escape from life we’re all looking for, bikes are just Kades Life.
“Sometimes you have to remind yourself how bad what you are doing is. But at the same time you have to forget about it and think that it’s normal.” – Kade
I’m going crazy with this
Kade’s custom Trek Fuel EX is packed with Lyrik Ultimate and Super Deluxe Ultimate, the perfect combination for booty pumping and spinning tricks. While his racing bike is all about optimizing speed, this bike is all about being nimble and playful. Eagle AXS keeps the cockpit clean for X-ups and turn bars, and Kade’s Reverb AXS ensures every ounce of energy goes straight to the run-up without distraction.
“My custom-made Fuel EX is super playful, super short, super stable. It just feels like when you tell him to do something, he does it. I love this atmosphere.” – Kade
BREAKING THE INTERNET
While some say that Arctic Monkeys changed the music industry forever by gaining fame and popularity through the rise of online social media, it is their exceptional lyricism and eagerness to evolve that have set them apart over the past two years have made relevant for decades. While every riding clip Kade posts seems to break the internet, we have a feeling he still has a few more tricks up his sleeve that will make him one of the best all-rounders in the sport. Until then… do like Kade: stop looking at your phone and ride your bike.
Video filmed and edited by Kuba Gzela. Photos by Ross Bell. Words by Sarah Rawley.
